Lynna's Rogue (27 page)

             
“How very kind of you. As a matter of fact
,
we do need
a few provisions. “Please come —
” The loud clanging of
a pot being dropped stopped Judith
short,
she had almost invited
him in. “Please, have a seat… on the porch.
I will
be right back with my list.”

             
Lynna stood motionless as she waited to hear the porch swing creak and signal he had sat down. It
did not
come. Evidently, he was still standing at the door, watching her. What was wrong with her aunt? Why hadn’t she sent him away posthaste? Nothing from town could be this important. Besides, obviously her aunt had forgotten Tobias had stolen all their money last night and
she had
never once known her aunt to purchase on credit.

             
Good morning, Lynna.” When she
did not
respond, he breathed a deep sigh and continued. “I realize perhaps I got a bit overzealous last evening, however I
will not
apologize.
I am
not sorry for what happened, as I enjoyed the kiss most thoroughly.
I am
only sorry you ran off when you did. We
could have made another enchanted
memory.” She failed to see the light dancing in his sea green eyes.

             
When she still
did not
respond
,
he lost his temper. “Lynna, why are you behaving like a spoiled child?” When no answer was forthcoming
,
he strode uninvited into the house and paused behind her only a second before spinning her around to face him. “You want
ed me to kiss —” He
halted abruptly as every ounce of blood seemed to drain from his face. “Who did this?”

             
She attempted to shrug off his concern, “Clumsy me, I was in such a rush to get away f
ro
m you last night
that
I ran into a door. I should have brought a candle outside with me.” Where was her aunt and what was taking her so long?

             
“Are you sure that
is what happened, Lynna? That is
a nasty bruise
.
I heard you bolt the door last night, but I
did not
hear you cry out in pain
.
T
aking a blow that hard had to hurt.” He angled her face to get a better look. “I fail to see how colliding with a door could cause the entire sid
e of your face to turn a
n
unsightly
shade of black and purple, and your eye to be almost swollen shut.

             
Turning away
,
she mumbled, “Of course,
I am
sure. It looks much worse than it actually is.” Of all the times for him to show up, why she must look like one of the voodoo zombies the slaves were alw
ays whispering about.
What could possibly be worse?
She knew he was still behind her when she felt the heat from his warm breath caressing her neck.

             
“Try walking with your eyes open in the future. It works amazingly well. I do
it all the time. And
my dear, that should teach you never to run
away from me again,” he whispered
against her hair, intoxicated by the smell.

             
She jerked around with a sharp retort that died in her throat when her aunt walked into the room. “On second thought
,
we
do
no
t
need anything from town, but thank you for the generous offer, Joshua.”

             
“My pleasure, Madame.” He smiled, although his cheerful mood had deserted him on first sight of Lynna's bruised and swollen face. Something was off kilter here.

             
After he departed, Lynna sat at the kitchen table
,
truly bereft. “Oh, why did he have to show
up this morning? Look at my face! A
nd he thinks I go around walking into doors!” She buried her head in her hands. “
I have
been in the company of hands
ome men before, but with Joshua...
why?” She was truly baffled.

             
“Because
you are attracted to him, darling
. You have
met a man who brings out the woman in you.
You have
never met a man like Joshua before.”

             
Believe me, Aunt Judith, I have.

             
Her aunt left the room
,
smil
ing, and called from her bedroom
,  “I
will not
deny it. I thin
k your Captain Jordan is quite exceptional
. There are few to equal to him.”

             
“My Ca
ptain Jordan?” she cried,
astonished by her aunt’s choice of words.

             
“Had you rather I say Suzanne's Captain Jordan?”

             
The day was frightfully hot, but her aunt's words sent a chill down Lynna’s spine that caused her to shiver uncontrollably.

             
Joshua had totally charmed Jasmine during his brief stay at Magnolia House. Few women, young or old, could long stay immune to his masculine charms and Jasmine was no exception. She was lifti
ng a heavy pot of sweet potatoes
from the stove when he sauntered in. Taking the po
t, he admonished, “Here, let me
take that. Don’t you have any men working in the kitchen to aid you with the heavy lifting, Jasmine?”

             
Jasmine's plump body shook with laughter.
“
Mist’
Joshua, you
sho
is
sumphin
. I
lifts
dis
heah
pot
evah
day of my life. Why, I
spec
I could lift
bout
much as any man on
dis
heah
plan
’
ation
. Now you just sit down
rite chere
and have some of my blackberry cobbler with fresh cream.”

             
Joshua laughed with her. “
I am
sure you could, Jasmine, but you should
not
have to.”

             
Never one to be accused of being gullible, she placed a steaming dish of cobbler before him and asked, “
Whut
is you in
heah
tryin’
to sweet talk old Jasmine
fo
,
Mist’
Joshua?”

             
“Why Jasmine,
I am
sorely disappointed in you. I thought we
had
become friends.”

             
“And we is. We
sho
nuff
is. But you done got
sumphin
troubli
n’
you, so you
mite jus’
as well spit it on out.”

             
After a long silence
,
Joshua asked quietly, “Have you perchance seen Lynna’s face today?”

             
“
Whut
‘
bout
her face?” Jasmine snapped, fearing the worst
as the cup of milk she was pouring for Joshua overflowed the rim
.

             
Joshua observed her plump face closely for her reaction. “
It is
badly bruised. She claims to have ran into a door.”

             
“Ran into a
do
,
my big behind!” she spat as her huge body fairly shook with anger. “
Da
t chile
gwin
e
run out of
scuses
one of
dese
days.”

             
Instantly on his feet, Joshua grabbed her by the shoulders
,
forcing her to meet his eyes. “Are you saying that
is
not what happened, Jasmine?”

             
Jasmine was thoughtful for a long time before speaking. “I
wont
der
, so
I
cain
say
fo sho whut
done happen.”

             
“But you have an opinion,” he ground out, urging her to continue.

             
“If you had
seed
as many bruises on
dat chile
as I done
seed
,” she stopped suddenly, wondering if she should be voicing her opinion against a white man. “But I done said too much
a
’
ready
.”

             
Joshua wanted to shake her and force her
to
tell him everything she knew, but there were easier ways. “I suppose
it is
just as she said. She im
presses me as being the
clumsy
sort
.”

             
“
Whut
you mean, clumsy?” Jasmine stormed
with her hands on her hips and her dark eye blazing.
Joshua knew his gambit had worked beautifully. “
Dat chile
ain't run into no
do
.
Dat
man done hit
dat
baby
agin
.”

             
“What man?” The depth of rage Joshua felt at that moment was surprising even to him. Knowing that someone had deliberately struck Lynna, with enough force to leave her badly bruised, caused his body to tremble with rage. “Who was it, Jasmine?”

             
Jasmine knew
she had
been duped, but that was no longer important. What was important was Lynna. Why should she go on protecting that
po
white trash, Tobias Mathison, when next time it might be too late to help Lynna or Judith
?
Next time he might kill them both. “Her own uncle! He
da
one
whut
beat
s
dat
baby. He comes home
lookin’ fo dey
money in a
flyin
’
rage and always
findin
’
a reason to hit
dat
baby
.” Hot tears coursed down Jasmine's plump cheeks.

             
“How I knows is
dat po
chile
done broke down one day and
tol
’
me so. She said she
jus’
had to talk to somebody. I
jus’
held her while she talked and cried,
a
xkin
me why her own uncle hate her so much.
Querstions dat
I ain't got no answers
fo
.
Den
when she finish
,
she made me give my word
dat
I would keep it to myself, an here I done
tol
you.
Forgive me
,
Lawd
!” she cried, stretching out her arms and beseeching the heavens. Then
she
dr
ied
her eyes
and
blew her nose loudly. “But I
cain
keep it to myself no
mo
.
Dat
man gwine kill
dat
chile
one day.”

             
“Where is he now, Jasmine? I promise you, the bastard will never get another chance to harm her if you tell me where to find him!”

             
“He ain't
heah
,”
she sniffled
.
“
Dey
ain’t be
knowin
’
where he
gwine
or when he
comin
’
back.”